Collecting and controlling device for billiard games



p 1944- J. I. R. ORIHUELA 2,358,533 COLLECTING AND CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR BILLIARD GAMES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May a, 1941 Sept. 19, 1944. J. l. R. ORIHUELA 2,358,533

COLLECTING AND-CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR BILLIARD GAMES 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2 I

Filed May 8, 1941 ATTORNEMS" Sept 1944- J. l. R. ORIHUELA 2,358,533

COLLECTING AND CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR BILLIARD GAMES Filed May 8, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet I:

Va 156 g yzj 7 1 N70 I A TTORNEZY Patented Sept. 19, 1944 coLLnorlivc AND CONTROLLING DEVICE, 7 FOR BILLIIARD GAMES I Jos r. Roque Orihuela, Habana, Cuba Application M y 8, 1941, SeriaI No. 392,565

- I In Cuba May a, 1940 8 Claims. (01. 273-15 This invention relates to the billiard games known as Chicago in which money is paid for each play, and it has for its object to provide a collecting and controlling device for that game, whereby the collections of money will be guaranteed and the authorities will be enabled to make an exact verificationof the payment of official taxes to be .made by billiard-saloons,v .as the device will show at any moment the exact amount of collections obtained.

Another object of theinvention is to avoid that the genuine billiard-balls may be taken fraudulently and a playmade without supervision-by the scorer and without introducing a legitimate coin in the coin collecting mechanism that is required in order that the balls may be taken out of the device, which balls would otherwise remain retained in the device.

A further object of the invention is that in the event of an attempt being made to make. a fraudulent play with illegitimate balls, the pass of the balls through the device will be registered and the fraud checked by means of a registering .mechanism'connected with the ballspassageway.

The invention is described with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, of which: I

Figure -1 is a top plan view of a Chicago billiard-tableembodying the device .of my invention, the position occupied bythe device beneath the billiard-table-being indicated by dotted lines.

\ Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-section view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, longitudinally show.- ing the device. I Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device alone.

Fig. 4 is an end 'elevational view of .the device, as viewed from the right side of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5. is a. transversal vertical sectional view on line 5.5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. .6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 3. V v

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view on angular line' 'I'! of Fig. 6.'

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 8--8 of Fig. 3, showing a modified position of the gate for an alternative passage of a ball when a play is to be repeated.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on line 99 of Fig. 2, showing the casing containing the coin collecting mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on line III-IIl of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is atransversal vertical sectional view on line II-II of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view I on line I2I2 of Fig. 11.

The device being the object of this invention is composed of a ball gathering funnel I which is secured by screws 2 through holes 3on horizontallugs 4 provided at its upper edge, beneath the two wooden crossed beams. one longitudinal .5 and another transversal Ii, which superiorly sup: port the billiard-table 1 the cushions of which are indicated by-8 and its pockets are indicated by 9, and in said funnel I end the channeled conduits II] which are disposed in a slightly in clined position from beneath the opened bottom of pockets 9 and the function of which is to lead by gravity to the funnel I the balls, dropping in each play in pockets :9.

To the funnel .I is integrally secured theQmain casing of the device (Fig. 3) which is laid latere ally to the. funnel I and transversally tothe billiard-table I. (Fig. 1) and the innerjspace of which is divided by .a horizontal partition ,I If ,in two chambers. The upper.portion...l.l' of the casing is adapted to enclose the coin collecting mechanism and the manual mechanisms for con trolling the operation of the gatesfor giving pass to the balls gathered in funnel I, and the lower portion 12 of said casing is adapted to gather and retain the balls after each correct play. I

The upper portion II of the .casing encloses at its more distant end from .funnel I the'coin insertion casing I3 which is of rectangular horizontal section (Figs. 9, 10 and .11) and has at a vertical plate I4 raised on its front end wall a vertical slot I5 for insertion of a coin,-say a five-cent piece, which slot I5- is normally obstructed by the bolt 16 of a'key operated look I! (Fig. 4), and to said plate I4 is secured at the vertical plane iof said slot I5 the upper end of an inclined chute I8- situated mteriorly adjacent a side wall of casing I3 and ending by its lower end in a recess I9 laterally formed in a horizontal slide 20 having its-inner edge in the shape of a rack Z I, and in :the bottom of easing I3 is formed a slot 22 to vertically register the recess" I9 in a certain position of slide20,said slot 22 being adapted to give way to the inserted coin to fall in a small box 23 situated beneath the casing l3 and provided with ,a lock 24 atits front end wall for removal, when desired, of the coins collected in said box 23. a

The slide 20 is guided inside by a guide 25 secured by screwsI26 to the adjacent side wall of casing I3 and the rack 2| meshes, with a gear wheel 21 loosely mounted on a vertical pivot'28 secured within a socket 29 on the bottom .of easing I3 by meansofaforelocktfl.

Interiorly of the casing I3 andiadjacent the opposed side wall of same is slida'blymounted through openings 3| an'd32 in the end walls of easing I3 a longitudinal slidable'bar 33 which is integral with another horizontal rack 3 1 also meshing with gear wheel .21 oppositeirack il.

The bar 33 endsat its outer end in a handle 35 and at a shoulder". thereof His secur-edfiby" a screw 36, one end of acoil; spring fi'ljhaving its ing piece 42 of tubular shape interiorly, said supporting piece 42 being fixed to the bottom of'casing I3 by means of screws 43 passing through holes formed in a pair of lugs 44 oppositely pro jecting from said supporting piece 42; "The bolts 3 40 and 4| are connected together by a coil spring 45, the bolt 4| ending in a block 46 having an;

upper raised lug 41 connected by a coil spring 48 to another raised lug 49 projecting from the upper edge of guide (Fig. 11), and said gu de 25 having an opening 50 in alignment with block 46 to give'way to the latter to engage the coin c inserted and occupying the recess I9 of slide 20, when the handle is pulled out to cause the horizontal slide 20 to' run until the coin c is positioned above theslot 22 in the bottom of casing' I3. However, the block 46 is soadapted that when there is not-a coin in recess I9 due to the fact that no coin has been introduced therein, said block 46- will penetrate into' the recess I9 and lock the-horizontal slide 20 (Fig. 12), thus preventing its movement and the operation of'the mechanism for controlling the gates for giving pass to the balls, as will hereafter be explained.

- The ,slidable bar 33 extends outwards the easing I3 and within the upper portion II of the cover and said bar 33 is pivotally connected at its 'upwardly .bent end and bymeans of a horizontal pivot 5I with the forked end of an adjustside walls ofthe upper portion I I of the cover beneath a raised portion II.' of the partition II, which raised portion II" is of trapezoidal shape in longitudinal section (Fig. 6) and is provided for the purpose of protecting the mechanism op- ,eratingthe ball passageway gate 55.

The arm 53 moves through a slot 55 formed in the higher'portion of raised portion II" and to said shaft 54 is fixed another arm 51 directed oppositely the arm 53 andpivotally connected at 58 with an adjustable connecting rod 59 which endsin an eye coupled to the eye of an eyebolt 60 fixed to the end of gate 55 slidably mounted on the partition IIf on side guides BI and adapted to obturate the horizontal opening 62 in the bottom o f conduit 63 transversally extended to aside from the curved conduit 64 leaving from the lower opening of funnel I. Said conduit 63 is in communication through aperture 62 with the longitudinal passageway 65 formed by the lower portion I2 of the casing and which terminates in an enlarged portion 65' provided with a' low end wall 66 for retention of the balls to which is adjacent an upper aperture 61 for the removal of the balls b (Fig. 6). The longitudinal passageway 65 has at its start portion a curved-surface bottom which is slightly inclined to facilitate the passage of the balls toward the retaining place, as will be explained hereinafter.

The retention of the balls is attained by means of a gate 68 slidably mounted in an inclined position through the passageway 65 on inclined guides 69 fixed to the side walls of said passageway 65, the gate 68 being operatedby means of a link 10 pivotally connected at its lower end to an angular arm 'II fixed to the middle portion 'at an intermediate point of its length the lever arm I2 is pivotally connected to an adjustable connecting rod I4 connected with the same horizontal pivot 58 serving as a pivotal connection 'between the arm 51 and the adjustable connecting rod 59. V

In virtue oi'these connections, it will be understood that upon pulling out the handle 35 the gate will be closed and will prevent the balls I) from coming out through the conduit 63 into passageway 65, at the same time that the gate 68'will be raised and will give Way to the balls I) retained within passageway 65 into the enlarged end portion 65 whereat they can be removed through aperture 61.

The pass ofeach ball I) through transversal conduit 63 is normally shut off by an obturator I5 slidably mounted .on a supporting guide I6 fixed to the lower side wall of the upper portion ll' of the cover, the obturator I5 being pivotally connected at one end to a horizontal rod 'I'I slidably passing through holes 18 in the inclined portions of the raised partition II and being guided through a hole in a supporting arm I9 depending from'one side of easing l3, said rod 11 ending in a handle 80'and being connected at a point 8I of its length by means of a coil spring 82 to an eyebolt 83 fixed to the raised portion II" of the partition II.

Through openings 84 formed in the initial portion of the side walls of conduit 63 is slidably mounted on a solid portion 62 of the bottom of said conduit a small box 85 longitudinally channelled. (Figs. 2 and 8) and divided at its middle portionvby a vertical partition 86 whose function is to push the ball I) having dropped into conduit 63 and being retained by obturator 75 on the hinged portion 85 of the bottom of box 85, toward one side of conduit 63 against the, holding action of a gate 81 hinged at 88 on the 'upperedge of the side opemng 84 until thehinged portion 85' of the bottom of box 85 is registering the inlet 89 of a side passageway 89 formed bywa cover 90 laterally to main passageway 65 and which ends laterally adjacent an opening 9I of the enlarged end portion 65' of said passageway 65, whereby the hinged portion 85 will fall and let the ball I) carried by said box 85 drop when the latter is pulled out by means of a rod 9I provided with a handle 92 and slidablyguided on a supporting piece 93 fixed to the side of the main lower cover I2 (Fig. 2), against the elastic tension of a coil spring 94 secured at one end to the rod 9I' and at the other end to an arm 95 fixed to the main upper cover II. The hinged gate 81 is pivotally connected at 96 to a link 9'! pivotally connected in turn to the end of an arm 98 fixed to a short horizontal shaft 99 oscillatably mounted on a bearing fixed through the side wall of passageway 65 and which rigidly carries at its other end another arm IOI directed oppositely the arm 98 i egssaisaa r ported at the front of the lowerlportion 1210f the cover and which serves to indicate the number of balls b which have pass'ed through: sidelpas' sageway 89. t

- At theiront of casing l3 is mounted another counter I01 the rotatablearm-:l08=of which is pivotally connected to a connecting-rod I09 which in turn is pivotally connected bymeans-of a horizontal pivot H0 to" an angular supporting piece Ill whose horizontal portion is fixed by screws H2 to the slidable bar'33 at a point-of' The operation of this device is a s followsz Assuming a five-centcoin is delivered to the scorer of billiard-table 1 as the price for a play, upon the scorer making sure that the coin'is a legitimate oneyhe will operate with the key in his possession the'lock l1 and will insert the coin in the vertical slot 15, the coin thus falling along the inclined passageway l8 into the recess 13 of the slide wherein it will remain lodged. The scorer will then proceed to pull out the handle 35, whereupon the rack 34 se cured to bar 33fwillflrotate the gear wheel 2! which by reasonof its meshing'withthe opposed rack 21 will cause slide 20 to ruri'in'an' opposite direction. As the cam' surface 39 engages the head of'bolt 40 it will push the latter intothe supporting piece 42 and through the int'erconnection of the coil spring 45 the bolt M will be advanced in the same direction, iwhereupon the block 46 will penetrateinto the slot 50 in guide until its end engages the come insertedlin the recess IQ of the slide 20, at the momentwhen the intermeshing gear wheel 21 and racks 34 and 2| will have causedislide 20 to run and carry along the coin c, untiLthat upon theorecess l9 beingplacedabove the slot 22 in the bottom of casing l3, the coin will drop through slot 22 in the box 23. a I

V As'the handle is p ll d Out andthe. efifect above-described is produced, the gate 55- will be moved forward and close the opening-62 communicating the conduit 63 with the. passageway 65 and the gate 68 will be raised thereby giving 7 way to thebilliard-balls b retained within said passageway 65, the balls passing beneath the partition I04 to the stop 66 whereat they will be taken out by the scorer through opening 61 and delivered to the players .fonstarting on billiard-table 1 the previously paid play.. Once removed the balls contained in passageway 65, the scorer will release the handle 35, whereupon the slides 20 and 33 will be returned to their normal position by the resiliency of spring 31, the boltsll and will be restored to their normal position by the resiliency of springs and 48, and the gate will likewise be returned to its normal position to open the passage of conduit 63 into passageway 65, and the gate 68 will descend again and obturate the outlet passage- During' a play on billiard-table 1, the balls b dropping into'pockets 9 will pass through channels Ill into thefunnel I and will be retained at the initial portion of the transversal conduit 63 and at the curved conduit 64, because the first dropping ball will strike the obturator 15 and will be retained on the hinged portion 85' of the box 85 being disposed in horizontal position on. the'horizontal. solid portion .62 or the bottom of said-conduit 63.1 F 1 w I 1 zlOncea play has beenterminated, if same was 'acorrect one,ithe .scorerwilliipull'out the handle 8v0, whereupon the obturator 15 will be: moved back and allow the, freepassage'of the balls 17 through-conduit 63 and the balls will drop through opening 62in the passageway 65 where"- at theywill gather behind the inclined gate 68'. In turninif a-ball has been incorrectly used .anditisdesired to withdraw suchdetermined vballto repeat the play, this .will beattained by thescor'er by pulling outthe handle 92, whereupon athe-boxwill move forwardto the'posi tion indicated in .Figurej8of the drawings, whereby the same'aball b will'raise the hinged gate-81 at the same time that the hinged'portion 85' ofthe bottom of box 85 will swing downwards by its own weight upon registering-the inlet opening 83 of passageway 89-lateral to passageway. 6 5'and the ball I) will drop into thisside 'passageway 89 and pass therethrough and through opening 9| to the enlarged end portion 65 ofpassageway 65 whereat it can be removed by the scorer through the upper opening 61 and delivered to the players for use inrepeating the play previously made incorrectly; Assuming the scorer'is absentgif any other person should try tointroduce a coin in the slot l5 for the purpose of taking; out the balls retained in passageway 65, such person will be unable to do so if he does not possess the key to operate the lock- IL If an attempt'should be made to" operate the device without introducinga coin in the passageway l8, upon pulling-out the handle35 the slides 33'and 20 willoperate as above explained, but, upon the bolt 4| being pushed transversally, the block ts-carried by same will penetrate through the slot 50 of guide 25 into the recess IQ of slide 20, and will lock the latter, thereby preventing the operation of the mechanisms connecting the slide 33 to the gate 68', whereupon the latter will not ascend but obstruct the-passage of balls 1; and therefore these would not be removed from passageway 65. Ifille'gitimateballs should be used with a View to make a fraudulent play and theobturator' 15 should be operated togive way to the balls being retained in-funnel I, the balls would pass down to passageway 65 wherefrom-they could'not be removed as the gate 68 would prevent it. If the box 85 would also be operated'by means of the handle 92,'the balls would enter into side passage 89, but on accountfo f the mechanism conmeeting the hingedgate 81 to the counter I06, their passage would be'marked by the latter and the fraud would thus be checked.

-It is obvious that changes may be made in the shape of the device and the construction details of same, without that'by this reason it'may be considered as altered the essential character of theinvention which is such as claimed hereinafter. 1

What I claim is; v

v 1. In a deviceof the character described; the combination of a bowl secured to a non-accessible portionof a billiard table, means forconducting balls to said bowl, a passageway having an inlet at the bowl and extending to an accessible portion of the table, means for opening said passage- Way adjacent the accessibleportion' and for simultaneously closing it adjacent the bowl, a second direct passageway having an inlet adjacent the bowl and leading to an accessible porfor opening said passageway adjacent the ac- 2. In a device of the character described, the

combination of a bowl secured to a non-accessible portion of a billiard table, means for conducting'balls to said bowl, a passageway having an inlet adjacent the bowl and extending to an accessible portion of the table, means for open-'- ingsaid passageway adjacent the accessible portion and for simultaneously closingit adjacent the bowl, a second passageway having an inlet adjacent the bowl and leading to the same accessible portion of the table, means for controlling the transfer of .balls from said bowl to said second passageway, and separate selectively re.-

leasable means for normally obstructing the inlets to said passageways respectively. 3. Ina device of the character described, the combination of a bowl secured to a non-accessices'sible portion and for simultaneously closing it adjacent the bowl, a second passageway interposed between the bowl and an accessible por- -tionof the table, separate means selectively releasable'from said accessible portion of the table for normally obstructing. the transfer of balls to said passageways respectively, and means'operable from said accessible portion for exerting a pushing force on a balland for transferring a ball from said bowl to the second passageway after the obstructingrneans for said second passagewayhave been released. V

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a bowl secured to a non-accessible portion of a billiard table, means for conducting balls to said bowl, a substantially straight pas-- sageway between the bowl and an accessible por- 7 tion of the table, means for opening said passageway adjacent the accessible portion and sif multaneously closing it adjacent the bowl, a secble portion of a billiard table, means for. coni ducting balls to said bowl, a substantiallystraight passageway extending from an inaccessible portion of the table and terminating at an accessible portion of the table, a conduit between the inlet of said passageway and the bowl, means for open: ing said passageway adjacent the accessible portion and for simultaneously closing it adjacent the bowl, a second substantially straight passageway having a non-accessible inlet adjacent the bowl and leading to an accessible portion of the table, means for controlling'the transfer of balls from the bowl .directly to said second passageway, and separate selectively releasable means for normally obstructing the transfer of balls from said bowl to said conduit and to the non-accessible inlet of said second passageway adjacent the bowl respectively.

4. In a device of the character described, the

combination of a bowl secured to a non-accessible portion of the billiard table, means for conducting balls to said bowl, a substantially straight passageway terminating at an accessible portion of the table, a conduit beneath the table between the inlet to said passageway and the bowl, a gate in-said conduit, a second gate in the passageway adapted to obstruct said passageway adjacent the accessible portion, coin-controlled means for moving said conduit gate to closing position and the passageway gate to open position to permit removal of the balls and their return to the bowl while preventing a second transfer of the balls to the passageway, a second substantially straight passageway interposed between the bowl and an accessible portion of the table, means for controlling the transfer of balls from said bowl to the inlet of the second passageway, and separate bowl and an accessible portion of the table, means 0nd passageway interposed between the bowl and .an'accessible portion of the table, means adjacent the bowl for preventing discharge of balls from the bowl to the passageways, said means being selectively operable for releasing a ball to discharge from the bowl directly to the first and second passageway respectively, and means for restoring said last named means to discharge preventing condition after operation.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a bowl securedto a non-accessible portion of a billiard table, means for conducting balls to said bowl,a passageway between the bowl and an accessible portion of the table, means for opening said passageway adjacent the accessible portion and for simultaneously closing it adjacent the bowl, a second passageway interposed between the bowl and an accessible portion of 40 thetable, means adjacent the bowl for controlselectively releasable means for normally ob- 6 ling the transfer of balls from said bowl to said second passageway, separate selectively releasable means for normally obstructing the transfer of balls-from said bowl directly to said passageways respectively, and means for automatically restoringeach of said last named means to obstructing position after each operation.

8. In a'deviceof the character described, the combination of a bowl secured to a non-accessible portion ofthe billiard table, means for conducting-balls to said bowl, a passageway extending from a location adjacent the bowl to an accessible portion of the table, means for opening said passageway adjacent the accessible portion and for simultaneously closing it adjacent thebowl, a secondpassageway substantially parallel to the first passageway and interposed between the bowl and the same accessible portion of the table, said second passageway terminating in said first named'passagewaybetween the accessible free end of said passagewayand the means for closing said passageway adjacent the accessible portion; meansforcontrolling the transfer of balls from said bowl to said second passageway, and separate selectively releasablemeans adjacent the bowl for normally obstructing the transfer of balls from said bowl to said passageways respectively. a JOSE I. ROQUE ORIHUELA. 

